Monster?
by LunaTheDragonSlayer
Summary: This was it. The battle between Vanitas and I that would end it all. By the end of this, one of us would fall. But who would it be? And why was I suddenly feeling this way? I couldn't help it though. When I looked at Vanitas, I couldn't help but think...must it really end like this? One-shot. Hints of VanitasXAqua, rated T just to be safe for blood.


**Monster?**

With a sudden flurry of motion I sprung forward, slashing my key blade out in front of me. I called out spell and spell and all the techniques I knew, not letting up for a moment. I hated him...he had almost taken everything away from me! Ventus, Terra, he almost took them all away!

Vanitas laughed at my near futile attempts. I couldn't beat him and he knew it. He was taunting me, playing with me and my anger as it flared up inside of me. He lazily backed away from another attack, and I could have sworn I saw him stifle a yawn.

I don't know what came over me, but suddenly everything was a blur of movement; one crazy speeding moment that my body processed before my brain did. I had lunged forward so suddenly that Vanitas was taken aback. But that wasn't all of it. His helmet, usually protecting his emotions from anyone, now had a long jagged crack in it, an obvious sign that I had done _something _to him. He cursed me and in a rage, ran toward me.

I sprinted backward, trying to gain some distance so I could use some magic, but a sharp pain exploded in my back as he threw himself on top of me, throwing us both to the ground. I cried out in pain as he dug his knee into my stomach, my back to the ground. Sharp rocks dug into my skin, and I bit my lip to the point where it bled to keep from crying. I refused to cry in front of him.

He laughed, leaning close to my pain-stricken face. "Is this really the best that you can do Aqua? Has your master taught you nothing? Do your friends mean nothing to you?

I tried to focus, tried to summon my key blade, but his hands pressed against mine and I could do nothing. The pain continued and I moaned, a horrible sound that I hated to let loose from my lips, but it slipped out. My vision blurred, the edges of it fading to black. God, was I going to die? Was this really the end?

I felt a pull, something inside me pulling me within myself, begging me to simply give in and let the pain go; let my death be quick. I opened my eyes slowly, squinting to get one last look at Vanitas. He was smiling beneath his mask; his mouth the only thing I could see through the crack.

I screamed, letting loose every emotion, every feeling inside of me in one roar. I threw him off of me, and pressed my knee into him. In a blind fury that overtook me from head to toe, I scratched at his face.

"Don't! Stop!" he protested, but I didn't care at this point.

Then with another crack, his mask gave way and fell off completely.

Oh my God...

I froze, and Vanitas glared at me with malice and loathing. I just stood there petrified. I don't know what I was expecting...but it wasn't this. He was so human, it scared me. After everything he had done, after the darkness he could create simply from his negative emotions...I was expecting the face of a monster. But the only thing abnormal about him was his golden eyes that seemed to stare right through me.

"Satisfied?" he snarled, and flung me off of him. He laughed again, his cocky atmosphere returning. I scrambled backwards, trying to get some distance between us, but with a snap of his fingers darkness snaked and trailed along the ground, surrounding me. Unversed leaped from the shadows, flinging themselves on top of me and holding me in place.

"Let me go! Dang you, let me go!" I cried out, struggling again and again, but they were strong. Their claws scratched and dug into my skin, causing me to cry out.

Vanitas approached me and grabbed me by my hair, yanking my face up to meet his. I yelped, and he forced me to look into his golden eyes.

"For someone so strong...you sure have your opinions of the world don't you? Light is always good and dark is always bad." He jerked me forward as I tried to break his stare. "Look at me! I don't look like a monster do I? I'm not!" He laughed, a cold empty sound that scared me. "Just because I enjoy the darkness, am I really so evil? Is darkness evil Aqua?"

I summoned whatever courage I could find within myself and met his amber eyes with my blue ones. "It's not who you are that decides if you're evil. It's who you become."

He laughed, but I saw something flash in his eyes. "What do you know about me?"

I glared at him. "Enough to know that after all is said and done, you will fail."

I screamed out, and kicked forward with all of my strength. With a grunt he sailed forward and slammed into a rock, causing his now unprotected head to make a sickening thud that made my heart hurt. The Unversed disappeared as their master was now rendered unconscious.

I bent down and put my hands on my knees, panting. I clutched at my wounded side and winced as I lifted my hand and saw scarlet red. Groaning, I slumped down. These wounds certainly weren't deadly, but they sure did hurt. I began to prepare myself for Cura; no doubt I only had enough magic left for one use, but hesitated when I heard Vanitas moan in pain.

I looked over at his crumpled form and started to feel sorry for him...maybe I-

Stop it Aqua, listen to yourself! He's the enemy! A freak! He deserves that; he's lucky I don't just kill him for all he's done!

And yet I softened when I looked at him.

_"Just because I enjoy the darkness, am I really so evil? Is darkness evil Aqua?"_

I groaned. Terra would never let me let this go.

I stood, and made my way cautiously over to Vanitas. I was aware of his tricks; I knew he might be faking it. But when I got a good look at him, I grimaced and looked away. No. He was out cold. Blood trickled down his head and a ragged would rippled across his side.

Those wounds were easily fatal.

I sighed. I was going to regret this. I _knew_ I was going to regret this. Wordlessly, I prepared my magic.

Vanitas began to stir slightly, and he lifted his head shakily. "W-wh...at are...you?"

"Sleep," I said calmly, casting my magic, and placing my hand gently over his eyes. Instantly Vanitas's eyelids drooped and he let out a soft moan as my magic pulled him into sleep, no matter how hard he fought it. His eyes closed and he lay back down, though his face was still twisted in pain. Casting sleep had lowered my MP, but I should still have just enough for Cura. I cast my spell, and watched as Vanitas's stricken face softened as the pain lifted. He sighed, a small sound coming from his lips, and I was once again taken aback by how human he was.

He may be crazy, and evil, and twisted, but...he was still human. Or at least partly.

I stood, clutching my side again. I groaned, already dreading the questions that Ventus and Terra would pound me with. I turned back over my shoulder one last time to see Vanitas's sleeping form and rolled my eyes, but hid a smile.

Bad guy or not, he was cute when he was sleeping.


End file.
